Can GM Kyle Davidson And Head Coach Jeff Blashill Lead The Chicago Blackhawks Out Of Their Rebuild?

If one thing is true about an Original Six NHL team transitioning from a golden era to a new generation, it's that nothing is guaranteed.

The Detroit Red Wings are a perfect example, as they once were the league’s gold standard, but for the past decade they've missed the Stanley Cup playoffs.

In the same boat – under nearly identical circumstances as the Red Wings – are the Chicago Blackhawks. From 2010 through 2015, Chicago won three Cups, and through the eyes of most hockey observers, the Blackhawks could do no wrong.

Unfortunately for their fans, in recent years, Chicago can do no right, as they've missed the post-season for the past six seasons. And it wasn't as if they were close to the playoffs, as in those six years, they've never finished higher than sixth place in their division.

From this writer's perspective, the Blackhawks did the right thing by tearing their roster down to the studs and acquiring generational talent like Connor Bedard. But Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson – who has been on the job since 2021 – has been unable to steer his team to any sort of success.

After a summer in which Davidson tried to acquire veteran talent to turn Chicago's trajectory around, the Blackhawks have been one of the NHL’s worst teams, posting a 3-8-0 record that makes them the second-worst team in the league, ahead of only the unquestionably abysmal Vancouver Canucks.

It is true that the Blackhawks have had a difficult schedule to start the year, with losses to the Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers. However, in their eight losses, Chicago has had their doors blown off, being outscored by a whopping combined total of 35-11.

They did get a short-term bump when Bedard returned from injury on Oct. 13th, but they're currently on a three-game losing skid in which they've produced just three goals. It's been an ugly start in the Windy City, and without some miraculous turnaround, the Blackhawks are on track to completely bury any playoff aspirations they may have previously had.

When things go so awry so early in the year, people naturally start to question a team's management and coach. And even if you give Davidson the benefit of the doubt when it comes to constructing his roster, there’s no question that Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill is, once again, under-delivering. 

Indeed, in his eight previous seasons as an NHL coach – seven of which came with the Red Wings – Blashill has got his team into the playoffs one time. With due respect to Blashill, is he the best coach that Davidson could've hired?

Even someone like former Edmonton Oilers bench boss Kris Knoblauch has three playoff appearances and two Cup final appearances to his credit. And given how many kicks at the can Blashill had in Detroit, what evidence is out there that he'll eventually improve things in Chicago?

And here's where it gets sticky for Davidson: in his half-decade as GM, he has hired not one, not two or three, but four coaches.

Derek King had one season as interim coach. Luke Richardson got just over two seasons. Anders Sorensen got 56 games as interim coach. And now, Blashill has been failing since the 2025-26 campaign.

It's all adding up to a cavalcade of catastrophe for the Blackhawks, and there’s no light at the end of the tunnel as things currently stand.

Sooner or later, Davidson has to be held accountable for his team’s constant disappointment. Other than making some clear choices like drafting Bedard and young forward Anton Frondell, Davidson cannot point to any legitimate progress for Chicago.

When a team has a track record of winning championships in recent memory, they earn some patience as they move from one generation to another. But that patience has been exhausted, and Blackhawks fans have no more time for excuses.

Blashill and Davidson are rightfully under the gun, and Chicago's brutal start to the season is only going to strengthen the argument that neither one of them have any answers about what ails this organization.

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